US20220161699A1 - Air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats - Google Patents
Air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20220161699A1 US20220161699A1 US17/357,634 US202117357634A US2022161699A1 US 20220161699 A1 US20220161699 A1 US 20220161699A1 US 202117357634 A US202117357634 A US 202117357634A US 2022161699 A1 US2022161699 A1 US 2022161699A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- air
- vehicle
- opening degree
- shutter
- suspension apparatus
- Prior art date
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- Granted
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- 239000000725 suspension Substances 0.000 title claims abstract description 85
- 239000003638 chemical reducing agent Substances 0.000 claims description 9
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 9
- 238000013016 damping Methods 0.000 description 8
- 230000003139 buffering effect Effects 0.000 description 6
- 238000010586 diagram Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 4
- 230000008569 process Effects 0.000 description 4
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 2
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 description 2
- 235000008331 Pinus X rigitaeda Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000011613 Pinus brutia Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241000018646 Pinus brutia Species 0.000 description 1
- 230000008901 benefit Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000000694 effects Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000009434 installation Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000036544 posture Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000011144 upstream manufacturing Methods 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/52—Seat suspension devices using fluid means
- B60N2/525—Seat suspension devices using fluid means using gas
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/501—Seat suspension devices actively controlled suspension, e.g. electronic control
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/502—Seat suspension devices attached to the base of the seat
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/52—Seat suspension devices using fluid means
- B60N2/522—Seat suspension devices using fluid means characterised by dampening means
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60W40/00—Estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, e.g. by using mathematical models
- B60W40/02—Estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, e.g. by using mathematical models related to ambient conditions
- B60W40/06—Road conditions
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60W40/00—Estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, e.g. by using mathematical models
- B60W40/10—Estimation or calculation of non-directly measurable driving parameters for road vehicle drive control systems not related to the control of a particular sub unit, e.g. by using mathematical models related to vehicle motion
- B60W40/105—Speed
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16H—GEARING
- F16H1/00—Toothed gearings for conveying rotary motion
- F16H1/28—Toothed gearings for conveying rotary motion with gears having orbital motion
- F16H1/32—Toothed gearings for conveying rotary motion with gears having orbital motion in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60H—ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES
- B60H1/00—Heating, cooling or ventilating [HVAC] devices
- B60H1/34—Nozzles; Air-diffusers
- B60H1/3414—Nozzles; Air-diffusers with means for adjusting the air stream direction
- B60H1/3421—Nozzles; Air-diffusers with means for adjusting the air stream direction using only pivoting shutters
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/506—Seat guided by rods
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60N—SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- B60N2/00—Seats specially adapted for vehicles; Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles
- B60N2/50—Seat suspension devices
- B60N2/506—Seat guided by rods
- B60N2/508—Scissors-like structure
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60W2520/00—Input parameters relating to overall vehicle dynamics
- B60W2520/10—Longitudinal speed
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60W2552/00—Input parameters relating to infrastructure
- B60W2552/05—Type of road, e.g. motorways, local streets, paved or unpaved roads
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60W—CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE OR DIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT
- B60W2556/00—Input parameters relating to data
- B60W2556/45—External transmission of data to or from the vehicle
- B60W2556/50—External transmission of data to or from the vehicle of positioning data, e.g. GPS [Global Positioning System] data
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B60—VEHICLES IN GENERAL
- B60Y—INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO ASPECTS CROSS-CUTTING VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
- B60Y2400/00—Special features of vehicle units
- B60Y2400/30—Sensors
- B60Y2400/303—Speed sensors
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16H—GEARING
- F16H1/00—Toothed gearings for conveying rotary motion
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats.
- seats of a vehicle are provided to enable a driver and passengers to sit thereon during the driving time of the vehicle, and various apparatuses are provided so that the driver and the passengers can sit on the seats in as comfortable postures as possible even within the narrow interior of the vehicle.
- a large commercial vehicle such as a bus or a truck
- an air suspension apparatus configured to absorb impact during driving is installed under a driver's seat in the large commercial vehicle.
- the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring, separately when a vehicle is stopped and when the vehicle is driving.
- the present disclosure also provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may adjust buffering and damping characteristics by controlling air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats, including an upper guide and a lower guide mounted under a seat of a vehicle and on a vehicle body provided below the seat, respectively, an X-link mounted such that respective link elements thereof are slidably coupled to the upper guide and the lower guide, and configured to support the upper guide so as to vertically move the upper guide with respect to the lower guide, an air spring installed between one of the upper guide and the lower guide and the X-link, and filled with air to absorb impact applied to the seat so as to support the seat, a control valve connected to the air spring through an air tube so as to supply air to the air spring, and configured to control a movement direction of air so as to enable the air to selectively enter and exit the air spring, an air shutter installed on a supply path of air from the air tank to the control valve, and configured to adjust an opening degree of an inner air channel configured to pass air there through, a driving information detector configured to detect vehicle driving information, and a controller configured to control operation of the air shutter so as to adjust the opening degree
- FIG. 1 is a view illustrating one example of well-known air suspension apparatuses
- FIG. 2 is a view illustrating another example of well-known air suspension apparatuses
- FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the pneumatic circuit of the well-known air suspension apparatus
- FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure
- FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly of some elements of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure
- FIG. 7 is a view illustrating adjustment of the opening degree of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for operating and controlling air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure.
- the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring, separately when a vehicle is stopped and when the vehicle is driving.
- the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- a vehicle may be a commercial vehicle, such as a truck, and, because the truck frequently travels a long distance due to the characteristics thereof, the performance of the air suspension apparatus has a great effect on the ride comfort of the truck.
- the well-known suspension apparatus has difficulty satisfying all of different requirements of vertical damping force in respective driving situations, and thus has difficulty providing optimal ride comfort.
- the air suspension apparatus requires a high quick down speed when the vehicle is stopped, and needs to gently attenuate road impact while absorbing the road impact when the vehicle is driving.
- an air suspension apparatus which may simultaneously improve user convenience and ride comfort by automatically adjusting air supply to an air spring and air discharge (exhaust) from the air spring depending on whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., is disclosed.
- FIG. 1 is a view illustrating one example of well-known suspension apparatuses.
- the air suspension apparatus for absorbing impact applied to a seat includes a pair of guides 1 a and 1 b mounted under a seat (not shown) and on a vehicle body (not shown) below the seat in parallel, and an X-link 2 mounted between the guides 1 a and 1 b so as to be slidable.
- the X-link 2 mounted on the lower guide 1 b fixed to a vehicle body floor supports the upper guide 1 a so as to vertically move the upper guide 1 a and, in this case, ends of respective link elements forming the X-link 2 are coupled to the upper guide 1 a and the lower guide 1 b so as to be slidable.
- an air spring 5 which is supported by separate brackets 4 a and 4 b , is installed between the upper guide 1 a and the X-link 2 , and the air spring 5 is configured such that air supplied from an air tank (not shown) is injected into the air spring 5 through air tubes 7 and 8 and a control valve 10 .
- the air spring 5 is configured such that air selectively enters and exits the air spring 5 through the control valve 10 , and supports the seat through the X-link 2 and the guide 1 a so as to absorb impact applied to the seat.
- control valve 10 controls the movement direction of air so as to enable the air to selectively enter and exit the air spring 5 in the state in which the control valve 10 is connected to the air spring 5 .
- FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the air spring 5 is installed between the upper guide 1 a and the X-link 2
- the air spring 5 may be installed between the X-link 2 and the lower guide 1 b (or a lower frame of the air suspension apparatus or the vehicle body floor), as shown in FIG. 2 .
- Reference numeral 16 in FIG. 2 indicates a damper installed between the vehicle body and the X-link 2 .
- FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating air flow control by the control valve and air paths formed by the air flow control in the air suspension apparatus of FIG. 1 .
- a quick down switch In an air suspension apparatus provided in a seat of a large commercial vehicle, such as a truck, if a driver operates a quick down switch is operated when the driver gets into or out of the vehicle after the vehicle is stopped, a quick down operation, in which air in the air spring 5 is discharged through the control valve 10 and thus the height of the seat is lowered, is performed.
- air in the air spring 5 may be rapidly discharged to the atmosphere so that rapid air exhaust may be conducted, the height of the seat may be rapidly lowered due to an increase in air exhaust, and thus the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle.
- FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure, and also illustrating air paths for operating the air suspension apparatus together with the configuration thereof.
- an upper guide, a lower guide and an X-link installed to connect the upper and lower guides are the same as those of the well-known suspension apparatuses, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 .
- the configurations and the installation structures of an air spring and a control valve are the same as those of the well-known suspension apparatuses, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 .
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure includes a pair of guides 1 a and 1 b mounted under a seat cushion (not shown) and on a vehicle body (not shown) provided therebelow in parallel, and an X-link 2 mounted between the guides 1 a and 1 b so as to be slidable.
- the X-link 2 mounted on the lower guide 1 b fixed to a vehicle body floor supports the upper guide 1 a so as to vertically move the upper guide 1 a and, in this case, ends of respective link elements forming the X-link 2 are coupled to the upper guide 1 a and the lower guide 1 b so as to be slidable.
- an air spring 5 which is supported by separate brackets 4 a and 4 b , is installed between the upper guide 1 a and the X-link 2 , and the air spring 5 is configured such that air supplied from an air tank (not shown) is injected into the air spring 5 through air tubes 7 and 8 and a control valve 10 .
- the air spring 5 is configured such that air selectively enters and exits the air spring 5 through the control valve 10 , and supports the seat through the X-link 2 and the guide 1 a so as to absorb impact applied to the seat in the state in which the air spring 5 is filled with air.
- FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which the air spring 5 is installed between the upper guide 1 a and the X-link 2
- the air spring 5 may be installed between the X-link 2 and the lower guide 1 b (or a lower frame of the air suspension apparatus or the vehicle body floor), as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the air tubes 7 and 8 are provided respectively between an air inlet 6 and the control valve 10 and between the control valve 10 and the air spring 5 , and thus, air supplied through the air inlet 6 is supplied to a supply port 15 of the control valve 10 through the air tube 7 .
- air having passed through the control valve 10 is supplied to the air spring 5 from the connection port 14 of the control valve 10 via the air tube 8 , or, in contrast, air discharged from the air spring 5 is moved to the control valve 10 via the air tube 8 .
- an air shutter 100 configured to adjust the size of the flow cross-sectional area of an inner air channel on an air path between the air inlet 6 and the control valve 10 may be additionally installed.
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure further includes the air shutter 100 configured to adjust the size of the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel thereof, and the configuration of the air shutter 100 will be described below in more detail.
- the size of the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel of the air shutter 100 will be referred to as an ‘opening degree’ of the air shutter 100 or the inner air channel thereof.
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure is configured to automatically adjust air supply to and air discharge from the air spring 5 (for example, an air supply amount, an air exhaust amount, a time taken to discharge air, etc.) so as to provide the optimal buffering performance depending on the vehicle driving information, i.e., whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure further includes, in addition to the above-described air shutter 100 , a driving information detector 22 configured to detect vehicle driving information, and a controller 30 configured to control driving of the air shutter 100 based on the vehicle driving information detected by the driving information detector 22 .
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure may further include an interface 21 operated by a driver so as to selectively input one of turning-on and turning-off of a seat suspension control function to vary the suspension characteristics of the seat depending on the vehicle driving information through control of driving of the air shutter 100 .
- the interface 21 may employ any unit through which the driver may turn on and off the seat suspension control function in the vehicle and, for example, may be an operation device, such as a button or a switch provided in the vehicle, an input device of an audio, video and navigation (AVN) system, or a touchscreen.
- an operation device such as a button or a switch provided in the vehicle
- an input device of an audio, video and navigation (AVN) system or a touchscreen.
- the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure may further include a display 40 configured to display information about a seat suspension control situation, and the display 40 may be a glass monitor configured to display information through the windshield glass of the vehicle.
- the controller 30 may recognize the turning-on or turning-off state of the seat suspension control function from a signal input from the interface 21 , and control operation of the display 40 so as to display the information about the seat suspension control situation depending on the driving state of the air shutter 100 .
- the vehicle driving information may include the current driving speed of the vehicle and road condition information
- the driving information detector 22 may include a vehicle speed detector 23 configured to detect the vehicle speed, and a road information provider configured to provide the road condition information.
- the vehicle speed detector 23 may serve to detect the vehicle speed, include wheel speed sensors installed at wheels of the vehicle, and determine the current vehicle speed based on signals from the wheel speed sensors.
- the road information provider may include a navigation system 24 installed in the vehicle so as to provide the road condition information, and a front detector 25 installed in the vehicle so as to detect information about a preceding vehicle, i.e., a vehicle driving in front of the vehicle.
- the front detector 25 may be a general radar installed in the vehicle.
- the controller 30 may receive the road condition information, such as the kind of a road on which the vehicle is currently driving, for example, whether or not the road is a flat road (paved road) or a rough road (unpaved road), provided by the navigation system 24 .
- the road condition information such as the kind of a road on which the vehicle is currently driving, for example, whether or not the road is a flat road (paved road) or a rough road (unpaved road) provided by the navigation system 24 .
- the controller 30 may acquire a distance from a preceding vehicle, traffic information of the road on which the vehicle is currently driving, etc., from the information about the preceding vehicle detected by the front detector 25 .
- the controller 30 receives signals from the vehicle speed detector 23 and the road information provider 24 and 25 and controls driving of the air shutter 100 based on the vehicle driving information acquired thereby, i.e., the vehicle speed and the road condition information, thereby controlling the suspension characteristics of the seat depending on the vehicle driving information (whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving and the driving conditions).
- ride comfort experienced by the driver seated on the seat may be adjusted.
- the air shutter 100 in some forms of the present disclosure is provided such that driving thereof is controlled based on a control signal output from the controller 30 , and particularly, is connected to the supply port 15 of the control valve 10 to which air from the air tank is supplied.
- an outlet port 102 of the air shutter 100 is connected to an inlet port, i.e., the supply port 15 , of the control valve 10 , and an inlet port 101 of the air shutter 100 is connected to the air tube 7 connected to the air inlet 6 .
- air which is supplied from the air tank to the air inlet 6 and flows along the air tube 7 , passes through the air shutter 100 and is then supplied to the control valve 10 , and the air shutter 100 is disposed at the front end of the control valve 10 , i.e., the inlet (the upstream portion) of the control valve 10 , in the above-described air paths and is configured to vary the opening degree of the inner air channel depending on the control signal output from the controller 30 .
- FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure
- FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly of some elements of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure
- FIG. 7 is a view illustrating adjustment of the opening degree of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure.
- the air shutter 100 may have a configuration similar to that of a well-known iris mounted in a camera, and the air shutter 100 adjusts the amount of air by controlling the opening degree of the inner air channel, through which the air passes, in a similar manner to adjustment of amount of light by adjusting the size of a channel, through which the light passes, by controlling the operation of the iris of the camera.
- the air shutter 100 may adjust the amount of air supplied to the supply port 15 of the control valve 10 via the air tube 7 from the air inlet 6 by varying the opening degree of the inner air channel, and adjust the amounts of air in air channels and spaces after the air shutter 100 (i.e., in the downstream portion), i.e., within the control valve 10 , the air tube 8 and the air spring 5 .
- air tubes having a diameter capable of supplying the maximum amount of air necessary to operate the air suspension apparatus may be used as the air tubes 7 and 8 , and in this case, the air shutter 100 may vary the amount of air supplied to the control valve 10 within a range equal to or less than the maximum amount of air by varying the opening degree of the inner air channel.
- the air shutter 100 may be driven so that the flow cross-sectional area (opening degree) of the inner air channel thereof is adjusted within a range equal to or less than the flow cross-sectional area of the air tubes 7 and 8 .
- the amounts of air in the air channels and the spaces after the air shutter 100 i.e., within the control valve 10 , the air tube 8 and the air spring 5 , may be adjusted within the range equal to or less than the maximum amount of air necessary to operate the air suspension apparatus, and particularly, the amount of air discharged from the air spring 5 to the atmosphere through the exhaust port 13 of the control valve 10 may also be adjusted.
- the amounts of air in the control valve 10 , the air tube 8 and the air spring 5 may also be adjusted, and particularly, the amount of air discharged from the air spring 5 to the atmosphere through the exhaust port 13 of the control valve 10 may also be adjusted.
- the suspension characteristics of the seat i.e., the buffering and damping characteristics of the seat, may be varied.
- the air shutter 100 includes the inner air channel through which air supplied to the control valve 10 passes, movable members configured to vary the opening degree of the inner air channel, and an actuator configured to operate the movable members based on a control signal from the controller 30 .
- the air shutter 100 includes a motor 110 configured such that driving and the rotation direction thereof are controlled based on a control signal output from the controller 30 , a stationary body 120 installed to connect air channels between the air tube 7 and the supply port 15 of the control valve 10 , a reducer 30 installed on the stationary body 120 so as to reduce the rotary force of the motor 110 and then to transmit the reduced rotary force, a rotary plate 140 rotatably installed on the stationary body 120 so as to be rotated by the reduced rotary force transmitted from the reducer 30 , and a plurality of blades 150 serving as the movable members, rotatably installed in the stationary body 120 so as to form an air channel within the stationary body 120 , and rotated simultaneously due to rotation of the rotary plate 140 so as to adjust the opening degree of the air channel.
- a motor 110 configured such that driving and the rotation direction thereof are controlled based on a control signal output from the controller 30
- a stationary body 120 installed to connect air channels between the air tube 7 and the supply port 15 of the control valve 10
- an outer gear 131 is mounted on a drive shaft of the motor 110 , and the reducer 130 may include the outer gear 131 and thus have the configuration of a gear device which receives the rotary force of the motor 110 from the outer gear 131 , reduces the rotary force and then outputs the reduced rotary force.
- the reducer 130 may further include, in addition to the outer gear 131 , a gear unit configured to reduce the rotary force of the outer gear 131 and then transmit the reduced rotary force to the rotary plate 140 .
- the gear unit includes a ring gear 132 configured such that the outer gear 131 is circumscribed thereabout, a central gear 133 disposed at the inner center of the ring gear 132 and combined integrally with the rotary plate 140 , and a plurality of pinions 134 inscribed in the ring gear 132 , circumscribed about the central gear 133 , and revolving around the central gear 133 when the ring gear 132 is rotated.
- a central shaft 133 a of the central gear 133 is combined integrally with the center of the rotary plate 140 , and thereby, the central gear 133 and the rotary plate 140 may be rotated integrally.
- the central gear 133 engaged with the pinions 134 is rotated, the rotary force of the central gear 133 is transmitted to the rotary plate 140 , and thereby, the rotary plate 140 may be rotated.
- the stationary body 120 is installed on the supply path of air supplied from the outside to the control valve 10 , and includes an inlet-side body 121 having the inlet port 101 and an outlet-side body 122 having the outlet port 102 , and the blades 150 , the rotary plate 140 and the reducer 130 are disposed in a space between the inlet-side body 121 and the outlet-side body 122 .
- the inlet-side body 121 and the outlet-side body 122 are combined integrally with each other by a connection bracket 123 , one end of the air tube 7 is connected to the inlet port 101 of the inlet-side body 12 , and the air inlet 6 is connected to the other end of the air tube 7 (with reference to FIG. 4 ).
- the outlet port 102 of the outlet-side body 122 is connected to the supply port 15 of the control valve 10 , and thereby, when air in the air tank is supplied to the air tube 7 through the air inlet 6 , the air moves along the air tube 7 , passes through the air shutter 100 , is supplied to the control valve 10 from the air shutter 100 , and is supplied to the air spring 5 via the air tube 8 .
- the blades 150 are combined with the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 , and particularly, the blades 150 are disposed in the circumferential direction of the inlet-side body 121 on the inner surface thereof.
- the respective blades 150 are hinged to the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 so as to be rotatable.
- a hinge hole 151 is formed in in each of the blades 150 , and a plurality of hinge pines 124 , which is inserted into the hinge holes 151 of the respective blades 150 so as to combine the blades 150 with the inlet-side body 121 , is fixedly installed on the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 .
- the respective blades 150 are rotatable about the corresponding hinge pins 124 of the inlet-side body 121 .
- connection pin 152 is installed on each of the blades 150 , and the connection pins 152 of the respective blades 150 are inserted into slot holes 141 having a predetermined length formed in the rotary plate 140 .
- air passage holes 142 configured to pass air are also formed through the rotary plate 140 .
- a shaft coupling hole 143 is formed in the center of the rotary plate 140 , and the central shaft 133 a of the central gear 133 is inserted into the shaft coupling hole 143 so that the rotary plate 140 is rotated integrally with the central gear 133 .
- the rotary plate 140 is rotated, and in this case, the respective blades 150 connected to the inlet-side body 121 by the connection pins 152 and the slot holes 141 may be rotated about the corresponding hinge pins 124 of the inlet-side body 121 .
- a plurality of blades 150 may be simultaneously rotated about the corresponding hinge pins 154 while the connection pins 152 of the respective blades 150 are guided along the corresponding slot holes 141 of the rotary plate 140 .
- an air channel configured to pass air is formed at the center of the circular arrangement of the blades 150 , and this channel serves as the inner air channel of the air shutter 100 , through which air passes.
- the size of the air channel formed at the center of the circular arrangement of the blades 150 in the circumferential direction of the inlet-side body 12 is decreased or increased when the blades 150 are operated simultaneously, as shown in FIG. 7 .
- the respective blades 150 are simultaneously rotated inwards, i.e., towards the center of the circular arrangement of the blades 150 , about the corresponding hinge pins 124 , the size of the air channel formed at the center of the circular arrangement of the blades 150 is decreased.
- the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter 100 , through which air passes, is decreased.
- the rotation direction of the rotary plate 140 is determined depending on the rotation direction of the motor 110 and the rotation direction of the blades 150 is determined depending on the rotation direction of the rotary plate 140 , when the motor 110 is rotated in a regular direction, the rotary plate 140 is also rotated in the regular direction, all the blades 150 are rotated inwards, i.e., towards the center of the circular arrangement of the blades 150 , and the opening degree of the inner air channel formed by the blades 150 is decreased.
- the rotary plate 140 is also rotated in the opposite direction, all the blades 150 are rotated outwards, and the opening degree of the inner air channel formed by the blades 150 is increased.
- the blades 150 are operated in a direction to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter 100 , through which air passes, or the blades 150 are operated in a direction to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel.
- FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for performing the seat suspension control function performed by the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure.
- the controller 30 receives vehicle driving information, which is collected by the vehicle (S 3 ).
- the controller 30 determines whether or not the vehicle is driving or is stopped (S 4 ), and, upon determining that the vehicle is driving, determines the driving conditions of the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information detected by the driving information detector 22 , in more detail, a current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detector 23 and road condition information provided by the road information provider 24 and 25 .
- the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel (S 6 ).
- the controller 30 may control the operation of the air shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel (S 6 ).
- the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so as to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel (S 7 ).
- the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a first predetermined opening degree, and, upon determining that the vehicle is in the middle- or high-speed driving state or the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a rough road from the road condition information, the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree.
- the controller 30 may control the operation of the air shutter 100 so as to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel (S 7 ).
- the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a first predetermined opening degree, and, when the distance from the preceding vehicle exceeds the predetermined distance, the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree.
- the controller 30 Upon determining that the vehicle is stopped based on the current vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detector 23 , the controller 30 monitors whether or not a quick down switch 26 (in FIG. 4 ) is turned on (S 9 ).
- the controller 30 controls the operation of the air shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel to the maximum opening degree (S 10 ).
- the controller 30 outputs a control signal to discharge air from the air spring 5 to the control valve 10 , and then, the quick down operation in which the control valve 10 discharges air from the air spring 5 through the exhaust port 13 is performed (S 11 ).
- the seat is quickly moved downwards so that the height of the seat may be rapidly lowered, and thus, the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle.
- the air shutter 100 serves to adjust the flow rate of air by changing the inner diameter of the air shutter 100 , i.e., the opening degree of the air shutter 100 , through the blades 150 .
- the damping force of the air suspension apparatus may vary according to the opening degree of the air shutter 100 and the velocity of air passing through the control valve 10 , when the vehicle is stopped, the opening degree of the sir shutter 100 reaches the maximum opening degree, air flow becomes fast, the quick down speed is increased, and thus the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle, and whereas, when the vehicle is driving, the discharge velocity of air is adjusted depending on the road condition and the vehicle speed, and thus ride comfort through the air suspension apparatus may be improved.
- the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may control air supply to the air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., and thereby, simultaneously improve convenience in use and ride comfort.
- the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may automatically adjust the flow rate of air in consideration of different requirements of the vertical damping force of a seat suspension in respective driving situations, thereby being capable of providing optimal buffering and damping performances in the respective driving situations.
- the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on whether or not a vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., thereby being capable of simultaneously improving convenience in use and ride comfort.
- the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may automatically adjust the flow rate of air in consideration of different requirements of the vertical damping force of a seat suspension in respective driving situations, thereby being capable of providing optimal buffering and damping performances in the respective driving situations.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
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- Aviation & Aerospace Engineering (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Automation & Control Theory (AREA)
- Mathematical Physics (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Vehicle Body Suspensions (AREA)
- Seats For Vehicles (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- This application claims the benefit of and the priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0158560 filed on Nov. 24, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats.
- In general, seats of a vehicle are provided to enable a driver and passengers to sit thereon during the driving time of the vehicle, and various apparatuses are provided so that the driver and the passengers can sit on the seats in as comfortable postures as possible even within the narrow interior of the vehicle.
- For example, a large commercial vehicle, such as a bus or a truck, vibrates or moves more loudly than a car during driving, and thus, an air suspension apparatus configured to absorb impact during driving is installed under a driver's seat in the large commercial vehicle.
- The present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring, separately when a vehicle is stopped and when the vehicle is driving.
- The present disclosure also provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may adjust buffering and damping characteristics by controlling air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- In one aspect, the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats, including an upper guide and a lower guide mounted under a seat of a vehicle and on a vehicle body provided below the seat, respectively, an X-link mounted such that respective link elements thereof are slidably coupled to the upper guide and the lower guide, and configured to support the upper guide so as to vertically move the upper guide with respect to the lower guide, an air spring installed between one of the upper guide and the lower guide and the X-link, and filled with air to absorb impact applied to the seat so as to support the seat, a control valve connected to the air spring through an air tube so as to supply air to the air spring, and configured to control a movement direction of air so as to enable the air to selectively enter and exit the air spring, an air shutter installed on a supply path of air from the air tank to the control valve, and configured to adjust an opening degree of an inner air channel configured to pass air there through, a driving information detector configured to detect vehicle driving information, and a controller configured to control operation of the air shutter so as to adjust the opening degree of the inner air channel of the air shutter based on the vehicle driving information detected by the driving information detector.
- Other aspects and preferred embodiments of the disclosure are discussed infra.
- The above and other features of the disclosure are discussed infra.
- The above and other features of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments thereof illustrated in the accompanying drawings which are given hereinbelow by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present disclosure, and wherein:
-
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating one example of well-known air suspension apparatuses; -
FIG. 2 is a view illustrating another example of well-known air suspension apparatuses; -
FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the pneumatic circuit of the well-known air suspension apparatus; -
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of an air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly of some elements of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 7 is a view illustrating adjustment of the opening degree of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure; and -
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for operating and controlling air suspension apparatus in one form of the present disclosure. - It should be understood that the appended drawings are not necessarily to scale, presenting a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features illustrative of the basic principles of the present disclosure. The specific design features of the present disclosure as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, locations, and shapes will be determined in part by the particular intended application and use environment.
- In the figures, reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present disclosure throughout the several figures of the drawing.
- Hereinafter, reference will be made in detail to various embodiments of the present disclosure, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the present disclosure will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it will be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the present disclosure is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents and other embodiments, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
- In the following description of the embodiments, terms, such as “comprising”, “including”, “having”, etc., will be interpreted as indicating the presence of characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements or parts stated in the description or combinations thereof, and do not exclude the presence of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts or combinations thereof, or the possibility of adding the same.
- The present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring, separately when a vehicle is stopped and when the vehicle is driving.
- Further, the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- In the present disclosure, a vehicle may be a commercial vehicle, such as a truck, and, because the truck frequently travels a long distance due to the characteristics thereof, the performance of the air suspension apparatus has a great effect on the ride comfort of the truck.
- However, the well-known suspension apparatus has difficulty satisfying all of different requirements of vertical damping force in respective driving situations, and thus has difficulty providing optimal ride comfort.
- For example, the air suspension apparatus requires a high quick down speed when the vehicle is stopped, and needs to gently attenuate road impact while absorbing the road impact when the vehicle is driving.
- Therefore, an air suspension apparatus, which may simultaneously improve user convenience and ride comfort by automatically adjusting air supply to an air spring and air discharge (exhaust) from the air spring depending on whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., is disclosed.
-
FIG. 1 is a view illustrating one example of well-known suspension apparatuses. - As shown in this figure, the air suspension apparatus for absorbing impact applied to a seat includes a pair of
guides X-link 2 mounted between theguides - Here, the
X-link 2 mounted on thelower guide 1 b fixed to a vehicle body floor supports theupper guide 1 a so as to vertically move theupper guide 1 a and, in this case, ends of respective link elements forming theX-link 2 are coupled to theupper guide 1 a and thelower guide 1 b so as to be slidable. - Further, an
air spring 5, which is supported byseparate brackets upper guide 1 a and theX-link 2, and theair spring 5 is configured such that air supplied from an air tank (not shown) is injected into theair spring 5 throughair tubes control valve 10. - The
air spring 5 is configured such that air selectively enters and exits theair spring 5 through thecontrol valve 10, and supports the seat through theX-link 2 and theguide 1 a so as to absorb impact applied to the seat. - Here, the
control valve 10 controls the movement direction of air so as to enable the air to selectively enter and exit theair spring 5 in the state in which thecontrol valve 10 is connected to theair spring 5. - Although
FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which theair spring 5 is installed between theupper guide 1 a and theX-link 2, theair spring 5 may be installed between theX-link 2 and thelower guide 1 b (or a lower frame of the air suspension apparatus or the vehicle body floor), as shown inFIG. 2 . -
Reference numeral 16 inFIG. 2 indicates a damper installed between the vehicle body and theX-link 2. - In such an air suspension apparatus, when the seat is moved downwards, a
cam 2 is rotated in a designated direction to press asupply switch pin 11 of thecontrol valve 10, and thus, air in an air tank is injected into theair spring 5 sequentially via anair inlet 6, theair tube 7, thecontrol valve 10 and theair tube 8, thereby moving the seat upwards again. - Further, when the seat is moved upwards, the
cam 3 is rotated in the opposite direction to press anexhaust switch pin 12 of thecontrol valve 10, and thus, air in theair spring 5 is discharged to the atmosphere sequentially via theair tube 8, thecontrol valve 10 and anexhaust port 13, thereby moving the seat downwards to an original reference height again. -
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram illustrating air flow control by the control valve and air paths formed by the air flow control in the air suspension apparatus ofFIG. 1 . - In the example of
FIG. 1 , when thecam 3 is rotated in the designated direction to press thesupply switch pin 11 of thecontrol valve 10, thecontrol valve 10 is switched to an air supply phase, and thus, air in the air tank is injected into theair spring 5 via aconnection port 14 of thecontrol valve 10. - In contrast, when the
cam 3 is rotated in the opposite direction to press theexhaust switch pin 12 of thecontrol valve 10, thecontrol valve 10 is switched to an air exhaust phase, and thus, air in theair spring 5 is discharged to the atmosphere via theexhaust port 13 of thecontrol valve 10. - In an air suspension apparatus provided in a seat of a large commercial vehicle, such as a truck, if a driver operates a quick down switch is operated when the driver gets into or out of the vehicle after the vehicle is stopped, a quick down operation, in which air in the
air spring 5 is discharged through thecontrol valve 10 and thus the height of the seat is lowered, is performed. - In this air suspension apparatus, as the diameters of air supply and discharge paths, i.e., the
air tube 7 between theair inlet 6 and thecontrol valve 10 and theair tube 8 between thecontrol valve 10 and theair spring 5, are increased, air may be rapidly supplied into theair spring 5 and air in theair spring 5 may be rapidly discharged to the atmosphere. - Particularly, as the diameter of the
air tube 8 is increased, air in theair spring 5 may be rapidly discharged to the atmosphere so that rapid air exhaust may be conducted, the height of the seat may be rapidly lowered due to an increase in air exhaust, and thus the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle. - On the other hand, during driving, as the diameter of the
air tube 8 is decreased, the exhaust speed of air from the air spring may be lowered, air exhaust may be decreased, and thus ride comfort experienced by the driver may be improved. - Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the air discharge amount and the air discharge speed from the
air spring 5 separately in the situation in which the quick down operation is performed and the situation in which the vehicle is driving and, in order to exhibit the optimal buffering action and function during driving, adjustment of the air discharge speed depending on the driving conditions of the vehicle or road condition is required. -
FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure, and also illustrating air paths for operating the air suspension apparatus together with the configuration thereof. - In the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure, an upper guide, a lower guide and an X-link installed to connect the upper and lower guides are the same as those of the well-known suspension apparatuses, as shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3 . - Further, in the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure, the configurations and the installation structures of an air spring and a control valve are the same as those of the well-known suspension apparatuses, as shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3 . - That is, referring to
FIG. 1 , the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure includes a pair ofguides X-link 2 mounted between theguides - Here, the
X-link 2 mounted on thelower guide 1 b fixed to a vehicle body floor supports theupper guide 1 a so as to vertically move theupper guide 1 a and, in this case, ends of respective link elements forming theX-link 2 are coupled to theupper guide 1 a and thelower guide 1 b so as to be slidable. - Further, an
air spring 5, which is supported byseparate brackets upper guide 1 a and theX-link 2, and theair spring 5 is configured such that air supplied from an air tank (not shown) is injected into theair spring 5 throughair tubes control valve 10. - The
air spring 5 is configured such that air selectively enters and exits theair spring 5 through thecontrol valve 10, and supports the seat through theX-link 2 and theguide 1 a so as to absorb impact applied to the seat in the state in which theair spring 5 is filled with air. - Although
FIG. 1 illustrates an example in which theair spring 5 is installed between theupper guide 1 a and theX-link 2, theair spring 5 may be installed between theX-link 2 and thelower guide 1 b (or a lower frame of the air suspension apparatus or the vehicle body floor), as shown inFIG. 2 . - Further, the
air tubes air inlet 6 and thecontrol valve 10 and between thecontrol valve 10 and theair spring 5, and thus, air supplied through theair inlet 6 is supplied to asupply port 15 of thecontrol valve 10 through theair tube 7. - Further, air having passed through the
control valve 10 is supplied to theair spring 5 from theconnection port 14 of thecontrol valve 10 via theair tube 8, or, in contrast, air discharged from theair spring 5 is moved to thecontrol valve 10 via theair tube 8. - Such a configuration is the same as the configurations shown in
FIGS. 1 to 3 but, in some forms of the present disclosure, as shown inFIG. 4 , anair shutter 100 configured to adjust the size of the flow cross-sectional area of an inner air channel on an air path between theair inlet 6 and thecontrol valve 10 may be additionally installed. - That is, the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure further includes the
air shutter 100 configured to adjust the size of the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel thereof, and the configuration of theair shutter 100 will be described below in more detail. - In the following description, the size of the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel of the
air shutter 100 will be referred to as an ‘opening degree’ of theair shutter 100 or the inner air channel thereof. - Further, the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure is configured to automatically adjust air supply to and air discharge from the air spring 5 (for example, an air supply amount, an air exhaust amount, a time taken to discharge air, etc.) so as to provide the optimal buffering performance depending on the vehicle driving information, i.e., whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc.
- For this purpose, the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure further includes, in addition to the above-described
air shutter 100, a drivinginformation detector 22 configured to detect vehicle driving information, and acontroller 30 configured to control driving of theair shutter 100 based on the vehicle driving information detected by the drivinginformation detector 22. - In addition, the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure may further include an
interface 21 operated by a driver so as to selectively input one of turning-on and turning-off of a seat suspension control function to vary the suspension characteristics of the seat depending on the vehicle driving information through control of driving of theair shutter 100. - The
interface 21 may employ any unit through which the driver may turn on and off the seat suspension control function in the vehicle and, for example, may be an operation device, such as a button or a switch provided in the vehicle, an input device of an audio, video and navigation (AVN) system, or a touchscreen. - Moreover, the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure may further include a
display 40 configured to display information about a seat suspension control situation, and thedisplay 40 may be a glass monitor configured to display information through the windshield glass of the vehicle. - In some forms of the present disclosure, the
controller 30 may recognize the turning-on or turning-off state of the seat suspension control function from a signal input from theinterface 21, and control operation of thedisplay 40 so as to display the information about the seat suspension control situation depending on the driving state of theair shutter 100. - Further, in some forms of the present disclosure, the vehicle driving information may include the current driving speed of the vehicle and road condition information, and the driving
information detector 22 may include avehicle speed detector 23 configured to detect the vehicle speed, and a road information provider configured to provide the road condition information. - Here, the
vehicle speed detector 23 may serve to detect the vehicle speed, include wheel speed sensors installed at wheels of the vehicle, and determine the current vehicle speed based on signals from the wheel speed sensors. - The road information provider may include a
navigation system 24 installed in the vehicle so as to provide the road condition information, and afront detector 25 installed in the vehicle so as to detect information about a preceding vehicle, i.e., a vehicle driving in front of the vehicle. - In some forms of the present disclosure, the
front detector 25 may be a general radar installed in the vehicle. - In some forms of the present disclosure, the
controller 30 may receive the road condition information, such as the kind of a road on which the vehicle is currently driving, for example, whether or not the road is a flat road (paved road) or a rough road (unpaved road), provided by thenavigation system 24. - Further, the
controller 30 may acquire a distance from a preceding vehicle, traffic information of the road on which the vehicle is currently driving, etc., from the information about the preceding vehicle detected by thefront detector 25. - The
controller 30 in some forms of the present disclosure receives signals from thevehicle speed detector 23 and theroad information provider air shutter 100 based on the vehicle driving information acquired thereby, i.e., the vehicle speed and the road condition information, thereby controlling the suspension characteristics of the seat depending on the vehicle driving information (whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving and the driving conditions). - In some forms of the present disclosure, when the suspension characteristics of the seat are adjusted, ride comfort experienced by the driver seated on the seat may be adjusted.
- The
air shutter 100 in some forms of the present disclosure is provided such that driving thereof is controlled based on a control signal output from thecontroller 30, and particularly, is connected to thesupply port 15 of thecontrol valve 10 to which air from the air tank is supplied. - That is, as shown in
FIG. 4 , anoutlet port 102 of theair shutter 100 is connected to an inlet port, i.e., thesupply port 15, of thecontrol valve 10, and aninlet port 101 of theair shutter 100 is connected to theair tube 7 connected to theair inlet 6. - Thereby, air, which is supplied from the air tank to the
air inlet 6 and flows along theair tube 7, passes through theair shutter 100 and is then supplied to thecontrol valve 10, and theair shutter 100 is disposed at the front end of thecontrol valve 10, i.e., the inlet (the upstream portion) of thecontrol valve 10, in the above-described air paths and is configured to vary the opening degree of the inner air channel depending on the control signal output from thecontroller 30. -
FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure,FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view illustrating assembly of some elements of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure, andFIG. 7 is a view illustrating adjustment of the opening degree of the air shutter of the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure. - In some forms of the present disclosure, the
air shutter 100 may have a configuration similar to that of a well-known iris mounted in a camera, and theair shutter 100 adjusts the amount of air by controlling the opening degree of the inner air channel, through which the air passes, in a similar manner to adjustment of amount of light by adjusting the size of a channel, through which the light passes, by controlling the operation of the iris of the camera. - The
air shutter 100 may adjust the amount of air supplied to thesupply port 15 of thecontrol valve 10 via theair tube 7 from theair inlet 6 by varying the opening degree of the inner air channel, and adjust the amounts of air in air channels and spaces after the air shutter 100 (i.e., in the downstream portion), i.e., within thecontrol valve 10, theair tube 8 and theair spring 5. - In some forms of the present disclosure, air tubes having a diameter capable of supplying the maximum amount of air necessary to operate the air suspension apparatus may be used as the
air tubes air shutter 100 may vary the amount of air supplied to thecontrol valve 10 within a range equal to or less than the maximum amount of air by varying the opening degree of the inner air channel. - That is, when the opening degree of the inner air channel of the
air shutter 100 reaches the maximum opening degree, the diameter or the flow cross-sectional area of the inner air channel of theair shutter 100 becomes equal to or less than the diameter or the flow cross-sectional area of theair tubes air shutter 100 may be driven so that the flow cross-sectional area (opening degree) of the inner air channel thereof is adjusted within a range equal to or less than the flow cross-sectional area of theair tubes - Thereby, the amounts of air in the air channels and the spaces after the
air shutter 100, i.e., within thecontrol valve 10, theair tube 8 and theair spring 5, may be adjusted within the range equal to or less than the maximum amount of air necessary to operate the air suspension apparatus, and particularly, the amount of air discharged from theair spring 5 to the atmosphere through theexhaust port 13 of thecontrol valve 10 may also be adjusted. - When the amount of air supplied to the
control valve 10 through theair shutter 100 is adjusted, the amounts of air in thecontrol valve 10, theair tube 8 and theair spring 5 may also be adjusted, and particularly, the amount of air discharged from theair spring 5 to the atmosphere through theexhaust port 13 of thecontrol valve 10 may also be adjusted. - As such, when the amount of air discharged to the atmosphere is adjusted, the suspension characteristics of the seat, i.e., the buffering and damping characteristics of the seat, may be varied.
- In some forms of the present disclosure, the
air shutter 100 includes the inner air channel through which air supplied to thecontrol valve 10 passes, movable members configured to vary the opening degree of the inner air channel, and an actuator configured to operate the movable members based on a control signal from thecontroller 30. - In more detail, in some forms of the present disclosure, the
air shutter 100 includes amotor 110 configured such that driving and the rotation direction thereof are controlled based on a control signal output from thecontroller 30, astationary body 120 installed to connect air channels between theair tube 7 and thesupply port 15 of thecontrol valve 10, areducer 30 installed on thestationary body 120 so as to reduce the rotary force of themotor 110 and then to transmit the reduced rotary force, arotary plate 140 rotatably installed on thestationary body 120 so as to be rotated by the reduced rotary force transmitted from thereducer 30, and a plurality ofblades 150 serving as the movable members, rotatably installed in thestationary body 120 so as to form an air channel within thestationary body 120, and rotated simultaneously due to rotation of therotary plate 140 so as to adjust the opening degree of the air channel. - As shown in
FIGS. 5 and 6 , anouter gear 131 is mounted on a drive shaft of themotor 110, and thereducer 130 may include theouter gear 131 and thus have the configuration of a gear device which receives the rotary force of themotor 110 from theouter gear 131, reduces the rotary force and then outputs the reduced rotary force. - For example, the
reducer 130 may further include, in addition to theouter gear 131, a gear unit configured to reduce the rotary force of theouter gear 131 and then transmit the reduced rotary force to therotary plate 140. - Here, the gear unit includes a
ring gear 132 configured such that theouter gear 131 is circumscribed thereabout, acentral gear 133 disposed at the inner center of thering gear 132 and combined integrally with therotary plate 140, and a plurality ofpinions 134 inscribed in thering gear 132, circumscribed about thecentral gear 133, and revolving around thecentral gear 133 when thering gear 132 is rotated. - Here, a
central shaft 133 a of thecentral gear 133 is combined integrally with the center of therotary plate 140, and thereby, thecentral gear 133 and therotary plate 140 may be rotated integrally. - Therefore, when the
motor 110 is driven, theouter gear 131 is rotated and thus thering gear 132 is rotated, and when thering gear 132 is rotated, thepinions 134 are moved integrally with the rotation of thering gear 132 and thus revolve around thecentral gear 133. - Here, the
central gear 133 engaged with thepinions 134 is rotated, the rotary force of thecentral gear 133 is transmitted to therotary plate 140, and thereby, therotary plate 140 may be rotated. - Consequently, as the rotary force of the
motor 110 is transmitted from theouter gear 131 to thering gear 132, the rotary force is reduced, and the reduced rotary force is transmitted to therotary plate 140 through thepinions 134, rotated integrally with thering gear 132, and thecentral gear 133, thus being capable of rotating therotary plate 140. - The
stationary body 120 is installed on the supply path of air supplied from the outside to thecontrol valve 10, and includes an inlet-side body 121 having theinlet port 101 and an outlet-side body 122 having theoutlet port 102, and theblades 150, therotary plate 140 and thereducer 130 are disposed in a space between the inlet-side body 121 and the outlet-side body 122. - The inlet-
side body 121 and the outlet-side body 122 are combined integrally with each other by aconnection bracket 123, one end of theair tube 7 is connected to theinlet port 101 of the inlet-side body 12, and theair inlet 6 is connected to the other end of the air tube 7 (with reference toFIG. 4 ). - The
outlet port 102 of the outlet-side body 122 is connected to thesupply port 15 of thecontrol valve 10, and thereby, when air in the air tank is supplied to theair tube 7 through theair inlet 6, the air moves along theair tube 7, passes through theair shutter 100, is supplied to thecontrol valve 10 from theair shutter 100, and is supplied to theair spring 5 via theair tube 8. - Further, when air is discharged from the
air spring 5, the air is moved from theair spring 5 to thecontrol valve 10 via theair tube 8 and is then discharged to the atmosphere via anexhaust tube 17 connected to theexhaust port 13 of the control valve. - The
blades 150 are combined with the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121, and particularly, theblades 150 are disposed in the circumferential direction of the inlet-side body 121 on the inner surface thereof. Here, therespective blades 150 are hinged to the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 so as to be rotatable. - For this purpose, a
hinge hole 151 is formed in in each of theblades 150, and a plurality ofhinge pines 124, which is inserted into the hinge holes 151 of therespective blades 150 so as to combine theblades 150 with the inlet-side body 121, is fixedly installed on the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121. - Thereby, when the
blades 150 are combined with the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 by inserting the respective hinge pins 124 of the inlet-side body 121 into the hinge holes 151 of thecorresponding blades 150, therespective blades 150 are rotatable about the corresponding hinge pins 124 of the inlet-side body 121. - Further, a
connection pin 152 is installed on each of theblades 150, and the connection pins 152 of therespective blades 150 are inserted intoslot holes 141 having a predetermined length formed in therotary plate 140. - In addition to the slot holes 141 configured to guide the connection pins 152 of the
respective blades 150, inserted thereinto, air passage holes 142 configured to pass air are also formed through therotary plate 140. - A
shaft coupling hole 143 is formed in the center of therotary plate 140, and thecentral shaft 133 a of thecentral gear 133 is inserted into theshaft coupling hole 143 so that therotary plate 140 is rotated integrally with thecentral gear 133. - Thereby, as the reduced rotary force of the
motor 110 output from thereducer 130 is transmitted to therotary plate 140, therotary plate 140 is rotated, and in this case, therespective blades 150 connected to the inlet-side body 121 by the connection pins 152 and the slot holes 141 may be rotated about the corresponding hinge pins 124 of the inlet-side body 121. - When the
rotary plate 140 is rotated, a plurality ofblades 150 may be simultaneously rotated about the corresponding hinge pins 154 while the connection pins 152 of therespective blades 150 are guided along the corresponding slot holes 141 of therotary plate 140. - In the
air shutter 100, in the state in which theblades 150 are arranged in a circular shape in the circumferential direction on the inner surface of the inlet-side body 121 of thestationary body 120, an air channel configured to pass air is formed at the center of the circular arrangement of theblades 150, and this channel serves as the inner air channel of theair shutter 100, through which air passes. - The size of the air channel formed at the center of the circular arrangement of the
blades 150 in the circumferential direction of the inlet-side body 12 is decreased or increased when theblades 150 are operated simultaneously, as shown inFIG. 7 . In more detail, when therespective blades 150 are simultaneously rotated inwards, i.e., towards the center of the circular arrangement of theblades 150, about the corresponding hinge pins 124, the size of the air channel formed at the center of the circular arrangement of theblades 150 is decreased. - In this case, the opening degree of the inner air channel of the
air shutter 100, through which air passes, is decreased. - On the other hand, when the
respective blades 150 are simultaneously rotated outwards about the corresponding hinge pins 124, the size of the air channel formed at the center of the circular arrangement of theblades 150 is increased, and then, the opening degree of the inner air channel of theair shutter 100, through which air passes, is increased. - Here, because the rotation direction of the
rotary plate 140 is determined depending on the rotation direction of themotor 110 and the rotation direction of theblades 150 is determined depending on the rotation direction of therotary plate 140, when themotor 110 is rotated in a regular direction, therotary plate 140 is also rotated in the regular direction, all theblades 150 are rotated inwards, i.e., towards the center of the circular arrangement of theblades 150, and the opening degree of the inner air channel formed by theblades 150 is decreased. - On the other hand, when the
motor 110 is rotated in the opposite direction, therotary plate 140 is also rotated in the opposite direction, all theblades 150 are rotated outwards, and the opening degree of the inner air channel formed by theblades 150 is increased. - As such, depending on the driving direction of the
motor 110, theblades 150 are operated in a direction to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel of theair shutter 100, through which air passes, or theblades 150 are operated in a direction to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel. -
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process for performing the seat suspension control function performed by the air suspension apparatus in some forms of the present disclosure. - First, when the power of the
controller 30 is turned on (S1) and a driver turns on the seat suspension control function through the interface 121 (S2), thecontroller 30 starts the process for performing the seat suspension control function. - When the process for performing the seat suspension control function is started, the
controller 30 receives vehicle driving information, which is collected by the vehicle (S3). - Thereafter, the
controller 30 determines whether or not the vehicle is driving or is stopped (S4), and, upon determining that the vehicle is driving, determines the driving conditions of the vehicle based on the vehicle driving information detected by the drivinginformation detector 22, in more detail, a current vehicle speed detected by thevehicle speed detector 23 and road condition information provided by theroad information provider - First, upon determining that the vehicle is in a low-speed driving state in which the current vehicle speed is equal to or less than a predetermined speed or a road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a flat road from the road condition information (S5), the
controller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel (S6). - Thereby, during operation of the air suspension apparatus (S8), the amount of air supplied through the
control valve 10 and the mounts of air in theair tube 8 and theair spring 5 are increased, and the amount of air discharged to the atmosphere through theexhaust port 13 of thecontrol valve 10 and theexhaust tube 17 when air is discharged from theair spring 5 is increased. - That is, the inflow and outflow rates of air into and from the
air spring 5 are increased. - Further, when a distance from a preceding vehicle detected by the
front detector 25 is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, thecontroller 30 may control the operation of theair shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel (S6). - On the other hand, upon determining that the vehicle is in a middle- or high-speed driving state in which the current vehicle speed exceeds the predetermined speed or the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a rough road from the road condition information (S5), the
controller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so as to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel (S7). - Thereby, during operation of an air suspension apparatus (S8), the amount of air supplied through the
control valve 10 and the mounts of air in theair tube 8 and theair spring 5 are decreased, and the amount of air discharged to the atmosphere through theexhaust port 13 of thecontrol valve 10 and theexhaust tube 17 when air is discharged from theair spring 5 is decreased. - That is, the inflow and outflow rates of air into and from the
air spring 5 are decreased. - In summary, as described above, upon determining that the vehicle is in the low-speed driving state or the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a flat road from the road condition information, the
controller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a first predetermined opening degree, and, upon determining that the vehicle is in the middle- or high-speed driving state or the road on which the vehicle is currently driving is a rough road from the road condition information, thecontroller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree. - Further, when the distance from the preceding vehicle detected by the
front detector 25 exceeds the predetermined distance, thecontroller 30 may control the operation of theair shutter 100 so as to decrease the opening degree of the inner air channel (S7). - As such, if distance information from a preceding vehicle is used, when the distance from the preceding vehicle is equal to or less than the predetermined distance, the
controller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a first predetermined opening degree, and, when the distance from the preceding vehicle exceeds the predetermined distance, thecontroller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so that the opening degree of the inner air channel reaches a second predetermined opening degree set to a value less than the first predetermined opening degree. - Upon determining that the vehicle is stopped based on the current vehicle speed detected by the
vehicle speed detector 23, thecontroller 30 monitors whether or not a quick down switch 26 (inFIG. 4 ) is turned on (S9). - When it is detected that the
quick down switch 26 is turned on in the stopped state of the vehicle, thecontroller 30 controls the operation of theair shutter 100 so as to increase the opening degree of the inner air channel to the maximum opening degree (S10). - Thereafter, after a predetermined time (for example, 1 minute) has elapsed, the
controller 30 outputs a control signal to discharge air from theair spring 5 to thecontrol valve 10, and then, the quick down operation in which thecontrol valve 10 discharges air from theair spring 5 through theexhaust port 13 is performed (S11). - Consequently, the seat is quickly moved downwards so that the height of the seat may be rapidly lowered, and thus, the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle.
- In more detail, in order to cause air of a pressure of 10 bar to flow into the
control valve 10 from the air tank, the air is discharged to theair tube 7, theair shutter 100, thecontrol valve 10 and theexhaust tube 17, and in this case, the pressure of the air finally discharged to the atmosphere through theexhaust tube 17 becomes 10 bar regardless of the opening degree of theair shutter 100. - In some forms of the present disclosure, the
air shutter 100 serves to adjust the flow rate of air by changing the inner diameter of theair shutter 100, i.e., the opening degree of theair shutter 100, through theblades 150. - Here, because the damping force of the air suspension apparatus may vary according to the opening degree of the
air shutter 100 and the velocity of air passing through thecontrol valve 10, when the vehicle is stopped, the opening degree of thesir shutter 100 reaches the maximum opening degree, air flow becomes fast, the quick down speed is increased, and thus the driver may conveniently get into or out of the vehicle, and whereas, when the vehicle is driving, the discharge velocity of air is adjusted depending on the road condition and the vehicle speed, and thus ride comfort through the air suspension apparatus may be improved. - As described above, the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may control air supply to the air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on whether or not the vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., and thereby, simultaneously improve convenience in use and ride comfort.
- In particular, the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may automatically adjust the flow rate of air in consideration of different requirements of the vertical damping force of a seat suspension in respective driving situations, thereby being capable of providing optimal buffering and damping performances in the respective driving situations.
- As is apparent from the above description, the present disclosure provides an air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats which may control air supply to an air spring and air discharge from the air spring depending on whether or not a vehicle is stopped or is driving, and driving conditions, such as vehicle speed, road condition, etc., thereby being capable of simultaneously improving convenience in use and ride comfort.
- In particular, the air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats in some forms of the present disclosure may automatically adjust the flow rate of air in consideration of different requirements of the vertical damping force of a seat suspension in respective driving situations, thereby being capable of providing optimal buffering and damping performances in the respective driving situations.
- The present disclosure has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that changes may be made in these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope of which is defined in the appended claims and their equivalents.
Claims (13)
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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KR1020200158560A KR20220071443A (en) | 2020-11-24 | 2020-11-24 | Air suspension apparatus for seat of vehicle |
KR10-2020-0158560 | 2020-11-24 |
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US20220161699A1 true US20220161699A1 (en) | 2022-05-26 |
US11584271B2 US11584271B2 (en) | 2023-02-21 |
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Family Applications (1)
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US17/357,634 Active US11584271B2 (en) | 2020-11-24 | 2021-06-24 | Air suspension apparatus for vehicle seats |
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US (1) | US11584271B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR20220071443A (en) |
CN (1) | CN114537235A (en) |
Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
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US4946145A (en) * | 1989-08-29 | 1990-08-07 | Tachi-S Co., Ltd. | Air suspension device for vehicle seat |
KR20030023956A (en) * | 2001-09-14 | 2003-03-26 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Air suspension structure for the seat of an automobile |
US20030119439A1 (en) * | 2001-12-21 | 2003-06-26 | Lacefield Michael Edward | Method and apparatus for controlling airflow in a vehicular HVAC system |
KR20050065877A (en) * | 2003-12-26 | 2005-06-30 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Air suspension device for vehicle seat |
KR20050101357A (en) * | 2004-04-17 | 2005-10-24 | 기아자동차주식회사 | Device of keeping a seat balance for an automobile |
DE102006058441B3 (en) * | 2006-12-09 | 2008-04-17 | Keiper Gmbh & Co.Kg | Vehicle seat e.g. commercial motor vehicle seat, has spring that is controllable by using control device and valve, where control device transmits relative condition of gear units mechanically to valve body, which has three conditions |
US20080197684A1 (en) * | 2007-02-15 | 2008-08-21 | Festo Ag & Co. | Height adjustment device of a vehicle seat and a vehicle seat fitted with it |
US20200122612A1 (en) * | 2018-10-23 | 2020-04-23 | Grammer Ag | Vehicle seat having a residual spring travel controller |
KR20210113888A (en) * | 2020-03-09 | 2021-09-17 | 명보기업 주식회사 | An air-spring unit on a vehicle seat |
-
2020
- 2020-11-24 KR KR1020200158560A patent/KR20220071443A/en active Search and Examination
-
2021
- 2021-06-24 US US17/357,634 patent/US11584271B2/en active Active
- 2021-07-15 CN CN202110799200.8A patent/CN114537235A/en active Pending
Patent Citations (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4946145A (en) * | 1989-08-29 | 1990-08-07 | Tachi-S Co., Ltd. | Air suspension device for vehicle seat |
KR20030023956A (en) * | 2001-09-14 | 2003-03-26 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Air suspension structure for the seat of an automobile |
US20030119439A1 (en) * | 2001-12-21 | 2003-06-26 | Lacefield Michael Edward | Method and apparatus for controlling airflow in a vehicular HVAC system |
KR20050065877A (en) * | 2003-12-26 | 2005-06-30 | 현대자동차주식회사 | Air suspension device for vehicle seat |
KR20050101357A (en) * | 2004-04-17 | 2005-10-24 | 기아자동차주식회사 | Device of keeping a seat balance for an automobile |
DE102006058441B3 (en) * | 2006-12-09 | 2008-04-17 | Keiper Gmbh & Co.Kg | Vehicle seat e.g. commercial motor vehicle seat, has spring that is controllable by using control device and valve, where control device transmits relative condition of gear units mechanically to valve body, which has three conditions |
US20080197684A1 (en) * | 2007-02-15 | 2008-08-21 | Festo Ag & Co. | Height adjustment device of a vehicle seat and a vehicle seat fitted with it |
US20200122612A1 (en) * | 2018-10-23 | 2020-04-23 | Grammer Ag | Vehicle seat having a residual spring travel controller |
KR20210113888A (en) * | 2020-03-09 | 2021-09-17 | 명보기업 주식회사 | An air-spring unit on a vehicle seat |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
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CN114537235A (en) | 2022-05-27 |
US11584271B2 (en) | 2023-02-21 |
KR20220071443A (en) | 2022-05-31 |
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